Officers investigating have appealed for information and have issued CCTV images in a bid to try and trace the people responsible.

Sergeant Eric Halford of Blackburn police said, “From our enquiries so far, we believe that there may be links to the Bolton and Wigan areas of Greater Manchester and so I would also appeal to people in those areas, as well as people in Blackburn to come forward and contact us if they have any information that they think might help.”